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- v 2 sheets -sheet 1 H. S. JOHNSTON 8; W. H. HUMPHREY. Machine forDrying and Finishing Leather and Applying Oil Theretb.

Patented Sept. 21,1880.

iililml K3115 mull! Pate ted Se a 1, I880 mmune llllli Applying 01'1Thereto.

, 2She6ts--.Sheet2. H. 8:. JOHNSTON & W. H. HUMPHR'EY. Machine forDrying an'd PinishingLaather and.

NIITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

HORACE S. JOHNSTON AND \VILLIAM H. HUMPHREY, OF TIOGA, PA. SAID HUMPHREYASSIGNOR TO MRS. SARAH B. HUMPHREY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR DRYING AND FINISHING LEATHER AND APPLYING OIL THERETO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,508, datedSeptember 21, 1880. Application filed November 10, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HORACE STONE J OHN- STON an d WILLIAM HORACEHUMPHREY, both of Tioga, in the county of Tioga and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a Machine for Facilitating the Drying andFinishing of Leather and Applying Oil Thereto, of which the following isa specification.

The subject of our invention is a machine for removing the wrinkles andwater from leather and applying oil thereto to facilitate the finishingof the leather in its original manufacture. It is adapted to operateupon leather of every grade, from the largest side of soleleather to acalf-skin, or the machine may be made for use on smaller skins.

From examination and manipulation of sides of leather in the course ofthe conception and maturing of our invention we discovered that a linerunning transversely across the side midway between the pate and buttinvariably passes over a smooth and even portion of the leather, andhence it was found that a machine adapted to operate successfully uponleather for the extraction of the water by means of pressure and rubbingshould apply the pressure from the central line above referred to,gradually working and manipulat ing the leather from this smooth portiontoward the more uneven, wrinkled, and ragged extremities of the side.

We further discovered that it was desirable to subject the leather todraft, friction, and compression at the same time. This is effected bydrawing the leather through between opposing pressers, which are made toyield independently, so as to distribute the pressure over all portionsof the leather, whether the said pressers are in the shape of rubbers orrollers.

We further discovered that oil may he most efficaciously applied to theleather asitleaves the aforesaid pressure-surfaces.

Our machine consists, essentially, of an elevator over which a side ofleather maybe thrown and appliances for drawing the said elevator upwardwithin a vertical guidingframe between cross-heads or plates, withinwhich are mounted a number of rubbers or rollers, as preferred, therubbers or rollers being pressed together by independent springs, so asto exert the required pressure on both surfaces of the leather, which isthus pressed between the said rubbers or rollers and the elevator-plate,as hereinafter described.

The invention further relates to a device for drawing the presser-platestogether or separating them, as required; also, to an appliance foroiling the leather as it leaves the rubbers i or rollers. I

In order that the invention may be fully understood, we will proceed todescribe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a front elevation of a machine illustrating our invention. Fig. 2is a vertical section of the same on the line y y, Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is a horizontal section above the oi'lers on the line 2 z, Figs. 1 and2. Fig. 4 is a view of the I inner face of one of the presser-plates orcrossheads.

1 2 3 may represent the first, second, and third floors of a tannery.

A A are standards, connected at their upper ends by cross-beams B, inwhich is mounted a horizontal shaft, 0, carrying a cog-wheel,

D, with which gears a loose pinion, F, on a second shaft,G, which isdriven by a pulley,

H, or by other suitable means, and has on its extremity a clutch, I,working on a spline, so as to be rotated by the said shaft while capableof longitudinal movement imparted by a shifter, I, on the upper arm of alever, J, the extremity of which is pressed upward by a spring, J, todraw the clutch I away from the pinion F, and is drawn down by means ofa rod, 70, and treadle K when itis desired to throw the clutch againstthe pinion, so that the teeth ion their opposing faces will engage, andthus cause the pinion to be rotatedby its shaft G. The shaft 0constitutes a drum, on which is coiled a cord or chain, L, attached atits lower end to the elevator M, which works in guides at on the innerfaces of the standards A.

The elevator consists of a plate with an irregularly-curved upper edgeand a bail or bar,

M, projecting above its top for the attachment of the elevating cord orchain L.

N N represent horizontal plates or cross- 10o heads attached to slides O0 working within guides P P, and formed with apertures 0 o for thereception of cams q q on the extremities of a shaft, Q, to which isattached a handle or lever-arm. Q, for rotating the said shaft in eitherdirection, in order to draw the crossheads or plates N N toward oneanother or separate them, as required. The horizontal cross-heads orplates are provided with suitable apertures for the reception of therubbers R R, which we prefer to form of brass or other suitable alloy orcomposition, in about the shape represented; but rollers may besubstituted for the said rubbers, if preferred. The said rubbers arepressed toward the center by 'nieans of gum or other springs, S S,bearing against the abutment-bars T T at the back,

so as to exert a pressure against each side of the elevator M.

The upper edge of the elevator M has the inclined and curved form shown,in order that a side of leather thrown across it may hang brushes 2; v.

smoothly with the shanks and other parts in vertical position, and maythus be presented most advantageously to the rubbers and pressers.

Above the cross-heads are mounted troughs U U for the reception of oil,having hinged covers X, and containing horizontal shafts V V, providedon one side with lamhs-wool On one extremity of each shaft V V is apulley, w, on which is coiled a spring, W, attached to the frame of themachine in such a way as to tend to rotate the shafts and cause theirbrushes v 'v to bear against the side of leather on the elevator as itrises, and thus apply oil thereto in a uniform and effective manner. Atthe other extremity of each shaft is a crank or handle, 20, by which theshafts are turned back to immerse the brushes in the oil. While not inuse they remain thus submerged.

In operation a side of leather is thrown across the inclined top of theelevator with the back toward the upper side and the thin edge risingslightly on the upward curve at the other side. The elevator is thusadapted for skins of various sizes, and causes the side of leather tohang evenly and vertically. The elevator is drawn up by the action ofthe shaft 0 when thrown into gear by means of the treadle and clutch, asdescribed, the effect of which is to rub out the wrinkles in the leatherand exert a pressure and manipulation from the smooth central portion ofthe side to each end, after which it is brought in contact with theoilers, as already described. The camshaft Q is rotated so far as isnecessary to apply pressure to the leather as it is drawn up between therubbers or rollers used in lieu thereof.

The pressers are preferably arranged, as represented, in two horizontalgangs, B B, one above the other. The larger or upper pressers, B, haveeach two springs, S, while the lower pressers, B, have each one spring.

In practice the springs of the larger pressers yield each a pressure ofabout two hundred and twenty-five pounds under one-half inch depression.The springs of the smaller pressers yield a little more than one-halfthis pressure, their office being not so much to take out the water asto remove the wrinkles and render the leather smooth and favorable forthe action of the, larger pressers, and it will be observed that theseare so arranged that their force is jointly exerted from the centralportion of the leather to the outside.

In a full-sized machine there are from fourteen to eighteen of thelarger and from thirtytwo to thirty-six of the smaller rubbers orpressers.

Having thus described our invention, the following is What we claim asnew therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine for facilitating the drying and finishing of leather,constructed, as herein described, with a vertical elevator and pressingappliances having independent rubbers It 1t, operating,'as set forth, tostraighten out the leather and remove surplus Water therefrom.

2. The oiling attachment, consisting of rotary brushes and oil-troughs,within which the brushes may be submerged, in combination Y with theelevator and pressers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of an elevator, M, and pressers R, supported byindependent springs S, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the elevator, the pressers, and the oilers,substantially as and for the purpose explained. i

5. The combination of the elevator, cams, lever, lateralpressure-frames, pressers, and independent springs, as and for thepurposes set forth.

HORACE STONE JOHNSTON. WILLIAM HORACE HUMPIIREY. Witnesses:

J. SCI-IIEFFELIN, J r., O. W. RYoN.

